Governor’s special session ignores crime crisis, focuses on bashing Trump

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday that she will convene lawmakers in a special session beginning Oct. 1, 2025, citing what she called “devastating” federal budget cuts signed into law by President Donald Trump.

According to the governor’s office, the session will focus on preserving access to critical services in the wake of steep reductions to Medicaid and food assistance programs. The administration’s proposed agenda includes stabilizing rural health care providers through grants, lowering health insurance costs for families losing Medicaid coverage, boosting food aid for children and seniors, and shoring up the state’s Health Care Authority as it braces for new Medicaid enrollment changes.

“New Mexicans should not be forced to shoulder these heavy burdens without help from their elected officials,” Lujan Grisham said, blaming Washington for forcing costs onto the states. Legislative Democrats echoed her message. Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) called the session “essential to protect our rural healthcare providers, safeguard Medicaid coverage, and ensure that New Mexicans don’t bear the burden of federal failures.”

House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) struck an even sharper tone, saying, “New Mexico is not going to allow Trump and the radical right to take food off your table or kick your family off your healthcare plan.”

But Republicans say the governor’s priorities miss the mark. Senate GOP leaders announced they will use the special session to again press for tougher juvenile justice laws, stronger accountability for repeat offenders, reforms at the troubled Children, Youth and Families Department, and changes to medical malpractice policies they argue would expand health care access.

GOP lawmakers argue that past Democratic opposition has blocked common-sense reforms aimed at curbing crime and protecting vulnerable children. They also point to long-standing Democratic resistance to joining the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, a move they contend would attract more doctors to the state.

This October’s meeting will mark the seventh special session under Lujan Grisham’s tenure. The governor has also indicated she wants to fold in discussions of behavioral health challenges tied to public safety, which could stretch into next year’s regular 30-day session.

The political clash sets up a familiar dynamic: Democrats framing the gathering as a shield against federal cuts, while Republicans push to address crime, child welfare, and health care reforms they say New Mexicans have demanded for years.